Clutch.



G. SIEURIN.

CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I9, 1912.

lw, Patemed Apr. 17, 1917.

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Application filed March 19,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, GEORGE SIEURIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shrewsbury, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful improvement in Clutches, of which the following is a speci-f cation, accompanied by drawings formingv a part of the same.

The objects of my invention are toprovide an improved clutching mechanism by which rotary motion may be gradually transmitted from a driving member to a driven member, and by which the clutching mechanism may be utilized to determine and regulatethe amount of power transmitted.`

f rllhese objects, among others, 1 accomplish by the, construction and arrangement of y parts as hereinafter l,described and pointed out inthe annexed claim. I i

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a clutching mechanism embodying my invention, and applied to a countershaft.

Fig. 2 is a central sectional view ofthe clutching mechanism. F

Fig. 3 is a central sectional view of a wire drawing block operatively connected with a driving shaft by means of a clutch em- 4 bodying my resent invention.

Similar re erence letters and figures refer to similar parts in the dierent views.

. Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, 1, l, denote a pair of hangers by which a countershaft is supported, c ompr1sing two separate shafts 2 and 3 having opposing ends at and 5 inclosed within 'the clutchin mechanism., as shown in Fig."'2. The sha 2 is rotated by power a pliedv through ra belt pulley 6, and the sha 3 is provided with a belt pulley 7 by which power is transmitted. Keyed to the rotating shaft 2 and capable of sliding thereon is a collar 8l having an annular groove in` its periphery containing a ring 9,

provided with gudgeonslO journaled inthe arms 11 of a slidable shipper rod 12. The collar 8` is provided with suitable clutching means, consisting in the present instance of lthe teeth 13, preferably ratchet shaped.

The teeth 13 are adapted to engage similar teeth 14 upon a sleeve 15 provided with a screwthread 16 having a steep pitch, preferably atan angle of about 65 to the axial line of the sleeve.

The sleeve 15 is journaled loosely upon the shaft 2 and the opposing faces of the Specification of Letters Patent.

1912. Serial No. 684,707.

sleeve 15 and collarv8 are recessed to receive a spiral spring 17 with its tension applied to separate the sleeve andcollar. Keyed to the inner end 5 of the shaft 3 and inclosing the end 4f of the shaft 2, is a collar 18 connected by a spline 19 with a sleeve 20, having an open end provided with an internal screwthread 21 engaging the screwthread 16 on the sleeve 15. rfhe opposite end of the sleeve 20 is closed by an end wall 22 forming an' -inclosed chamber `23 between the end wall 22 and the opposing end 24 of the collar 18. In the chamber4 23 li inclose a spiral thrust spring 25. rlhe collar 18 is held from longitudinal movement on the end of the shaft 3 and the sleeve 20 is held from longitudinal movement in one directionby a collar 26. rlhe normal position of the parts is represented in sectional view in Fig. 2, with the clutch teeth 13 and 1li separated.

1n order to bring the clutch into operationthe clutching members comprising the teeth 13 and 14 are brought into engagement by sliding the shipper rod 12 in the direction of the arrow 27, Fig. 1, causing the rotation of the shaft 2 to be impartedto the screw- -the direction of the arrow 28 until the compression of the spring 25 has increased the pressure between the engaged screwthreads y16 and 21 in excess of the resistance odered by the load upon the 'shaft 3. When this occurs the sleeve 2O will be rotated by the sleeve 15 and will impart its rotative movement through the collar 18 to the shaft 3 and pulley 7. The tension exerted by the spiral spring 25 will then measure the power 'transmitted from the shaft 2 to the shaft 3,

and as the tension of the compressed spring 25 is `in an exact ratio to` the movement of the sleeve 2O in the direction jof the arrow 28, the `extent of this movement may be utilized to determine the amount of power transmitted by the clutch. Various means may be employed by which this result may be accomplished, but ll have indicated only one such in Fig. 1, which consists in formratentee npr. in, rena.l

ing an annular groove 29 in the periphery of the sleeve 20, and engaging the groove 29 by a forked lever-30 attached to asliding sleevey 31 on the shipper'rod 12. The sleeve 31 is connected by a link 32 with the arm 33 of a rheostat'forming part of the electrical circuit by which an electric motor is f stat, a similar connection can be made with the throttle valve of a steam engine, or with a governor ,by which the speed may be regulated. l have not illustrated such devices, however, as they form no part of my present invention. 4

My present purpose is simply to disclose the fact that the movement ofthe sleeve 20 in the direction of the arrow 28 may be utilized for the purpose of limiting or indieating the amount of. power transmitted, in-

asmuch as the movement of the sleeve bears a fixed relation to the tension exerted by the spring 25, and the tension exerted by the spring 25 also bears a fixed relation Vto the -amount of power transmitted through the clutching mechanism.

. My present device, as embodied in the construction 'illustrated in the drawings, comprises in point of fact, a main clutching mechanism, by means of Vwhich* the power' is transmitted from shaft 2 to shaft 3, and a 'clutching mechanism by which the former- 1s brought into operation consisting of' the clutch teeth 13 and 14. The latter clutch'- ing members I, therefore` term the initial clutching means, as its only function is to rotate the sleeve 15 for the purpose of compressing the spring 25.

Injorder to release the clutching mechanism and disconnect the driving shaftfrom the driven shaft 3, it is only necessary to disengage the initial clutching mechanism- 56 vwhen the tension stored in the spiral spring 25 will cause the. spring t'o expand andreverse the longitudinal movement of the sleeve 20, which will be accompanied by a reversal of the rotary motion of the screwthreaded sleeve 15.

Inv Fig. 3 `I have represented in sectional view my invention as applied to a wire4 drawing block 34. The driving element by which the block rotated consists of a vertical rotating shaft 35 which, -in the present instance, is driven by means of a bevel gear 36 keyed to the shaft and engaging a. bevel gear, not shown, upon a horizontal driving shaft. Keyed to the shaft 35 and capable of sliding thereon is a collar 37, having clutch teeth 38 adapted to be brought into engage.-

ment with similar clutching teeth 39 on the lower end of a sleeve 40. rlhe sleeve 40 is supported against gravity byvmeansl of a collar 41 attached to the shaft 35. The wire drawing block 34 is journaled upon the sleeve 40 and is supported against gravity upon the fixed bearing 42, in which .the sleeve 40 is journaled. rlhe sleeve 40. extends upwardly through the chamber 43 inclosed in the wire drawingblock, and is provided 75 with a screwthread 44 atan angle to the axis of the rotating sleeve of about 650.

lnclosed within the chambei` 43 is a 'follower 45 having a hub 46 provided with an internal screwthread which engages the screwthread 44 on the sleeve 40. `etween the upperl or end wall 47 of the wire drawing block and the follower 45, l insert a series of spiral springs 48 held in position at their opposite ends by means of recesses formed respectively inthe end wall 47 and theY 4follower, 45.A The follower 45 has a spline connection with the Iwire drawing block 34 by means of its engagement with ways 49 on the sides of the wire drawing .90 block. The inclosed chamber 43 of the wire drawing block is preferably cylindrical and the follower 45 is made to fit the interior of the wire drawing block but to be capable of` sliding freely therein.

In the end wall 47 of the wire drawing block is a vent opening 50 which is normally closed by a gravity valve 51. The face of the valve 51 is provided with a diametrical groove 52 for a purposeherein described. 100 `The operation of my improved clutch as applied to a wire drawing block, assuming the parts to be in the normal position shown in Fig. 3, is as follows The collar 37 is raised to bring the clutch teeth 38 and 39 H into engagement by means of a shipping llever 53 'pivoted upon the fixed framework, and having a linkr54 extending, to a foot treadle, not shown. As soon as the clutch 'teeth 38 and 39 have been engaged, the rotary motion ofthe shaft 35 is communicated to the sleeve 40, and as the follower 45 is prevented from "rotation within tle wire drawing block by its.- spline engagement therewith, assuming` the block to-be `held 115 from rotation by the strain of the wire being drawn, or other means, the follower will be made to travel upwardly on the screwthreaded sleeve 40, thereby compressingthe spiral springs 48. A s soon as the tension of 120 the spiral spring acting against the end wall 47 of the drawing block and the follower 45 produces al compression between the wall 47 and follower `45 and friction between the screwthreaded sleeve 40 and the follower 125 45 greaterthan the load or the resistance to the rotation of the block 34, the block 34 will begin to rotate.

' During the upward movement of the fol-h lower 45 air is forced out of the chamber 13* 43 through the vent opening 50. As soon as the initial clutching mechanism comprising the teeth 38 and 39 is released, the tension of the springs 48 will force the follower 45 down, producing a reverse rotative movement of the sleeve 40 until the follower assumes its normal position, as shown in Fig. 3. During this partial movement of the4 follower a partial vacuum is produced in the chamber 43 -so that the rapid downward movement of the follower is partially resisted by the air pressure beneath the follower which exists until air has flowed into the chamber 43 through the groove 52 of the gravity valve 51. v I claim,

In a clutching mechanism, a driving inember and a driven member, a screwthreaded;

member `rotatively connected with said driven member and capable of a longitudinal movement, a second screwthreaded member engaging saidiirst named screwthreaded member, means for rotatively connecting said second screwthreaded member with said driving member at will, and compressible resilient means for resisting the longitudinal movement of said first named screwthreaded member, whereby the amount of power imparted from said driving member to said driven member will be determined by the 3@ v compressibility of said resilient means.

GEORGE SIEURIN.

Witnesses PENELOPE COMBERBACH, NELLIE WHALEN. 

